Debut goal by Carta nets Shepshed three points

SHEPSHED Dynamo moved above their opponents Walsall Wood with a 1-0 win at The Dovecote Stadium, the first time they had beaten Walsall in two seasons.

Walsall had the first chance of the game on two minutes Karl Edwards shooting wide.

Ben Haseley back in the side after missing last week’s match had his shot saved from Samuel Joseph Arnold on four minutes followed by Liam Hursts shot being blocked by Queenton Mananse on seven minutes and then Adam Hohn returning from injury flashed a shot across the box on nine minutes.

Shepshed continued to have the better of the chances, Read and Hurst combined for Shepshed but Hurst’s header was straight at Arnold on 34 minutes.

Haseley then shot straight at Arnold a minute later, then Edwards shot off target on 36 minutes and the final chance of the half fell to Leon Taylor but his effort went into Ben Gathercole.

For the second week running Shepshed had a determined look about them in the second half and went close when Hurst’s strike went into the side netting on 47 minutes and debutant Joel Carta had his shot saved by Arnold on 56 minutes.

Arnold was now being kept busy saving from Haseley on 59 minutes, Carta on 62 minutes and Read on 63 minutes.

Dynamo took a deserved lead on 68 minutes, Shepshed broke quickly and Matt Gardner’s shot was saved by Arnold, the ball was parried to the edge of the box where Carta rifled home.

Hurst then went close to doubling the lead on 72 minutes before Gathercole was forced to save from Joey Butlin on 75 minutes and a further save a minute later from Edwards.

Walsall Wood were reduced to 10 men with four minutes remaining when Steven Hayles was given a straight red for a two footed challenge.

Five minutes of injury time were played with Wood going close to an equaliser, Taylor firing over but Dynamo hung on for a deserved three points.

Attention now turns to the FA Vase as they travel to Radford of the East Midlands Counties in the second round.

Late goals by high-flying visitors sink Uni FC

LOUGHBOROUGH UNI FC 2 COLESHILL 4

TWO late goals gave high flying Coleshill a victory at Holywell Park over a University side that had given as good as it got for the best part of this fine game.

The Uni were left to rue a defensive errors that eventually cost them the game and maybe a point that, until the visitor’s late surge, they’d not only looked like getting but would have deserved.

During the first half an hour there was little to separate the two sides with Luke Trotman and Afolayan Oladapo giving Coleshill plenty to think about as they forged a good right wing partnership, Trotman working as a wing back looking particularly impressive.

However, something of a freak goal gave the visitors the lead but it was a catalogue or errors that brought the goal about. Firstly the Students gave the ball away in sloppy fashion just inside their own half and Coleshill sought to take full advantage but their attack was blocked at the expense of a corner. O’Keefe, in the Uni goal had shown impeccable handling and as the corner came over he shouted as he came to collect the low cross; unfortunately he was baulked by his own defender and the ball rolled into the net with just the merest of touches from Coleshill’s Gavin Hurran.

The Students tried hard to remedy the situation and Jeremiah Dasaolu almost fooled Hathaway in the visitor’s goal with a deft lob but to the home supports dismay the keeper recovered his ground just in time. After this Oladapo sent a good effort just wide and the young winger certainly looks a good find.

The game got a bit untidy with the referee cautioning three players in quick succession and halftime arrived with the scoreboard unchanged.

The Students started the second half well and Drew Bridge was in the thick of the action firstly with a header that went close and then he forced a good save out of the keeper. From a corner Brennan headed straight into the arms of Hathaway when had the ball gone either side of him it surely would have been the equaliser.

The leveller did come when Oladapo hit the ball low across the Coleshill goal and Bridge was first to get to it and nudge over the line. At that stage it was no more than the Students deserved.

The Students were playing with confidence and matching their opponents in just about every phase of the game but then they fell behind and again it was the result of poor defending. The Uni had ample opportunity and time to get the ball away but nobody seemed to take responsibility and possession was lost and Milligan put through with a clear view of the goal. His first effort was saved by O’Keefe but to the keeper’s misfortune it rolled straight back to Milligan who made no mistake.

To their credit the Students refused to buckle and took the game back to the West Midland side and Alex Read, a halftime substitute saw a good effort blocked by the Coleshill keeper. A minute later he scored what was the goal of the game when he jinked past a host of Coleshill players in almost mesmerising fashion before rolling the ball into the net to the delight of the Uni followers in the good sized crowd of 112.

Play then went from end to end and it looked as if it could go either way. With just over five minutes remaining the Loughborough side again failed to control the ball in the middle of the park and the Coleshill number seven Reece Leek was put through to smash the ball into the net with the Uni back line nowhere to be seen.

Loughborough attacked but they were vulnerable to the counter attack and in the dying minutes of added time Milligan scored a fourth which put an unfair reflection on the scoreline but they’d been far more clinical in attack.

The Students have a good side but injuries and other Campus commitments are forcing manager Karl Brenan into making changes when the side needs to maybe be a little more settled.

Defending nightmare costs Quorn

QUORN 0 BOLDMERE ST MICHAELS 4

QUORN made three changes following the midweek defeat at Coventry Utd, skipper Leavi Oshungbure was unavailable, Matt Roberts was injured and Simon Alcott was rested.

New signing Joshua Selway came in at left back, with Andrew Kenny and another new signing Rob Mulonga, both filling midfield roles.

Quorn were the better side early on forcing a string of corners that saw the home side win the headers but without finding the target. Mulonga and Reuben Asamoah combined well on the right and the latter’s cross found the head of Liam Turner, visiting keeper Lewis Fenney got down well to parry but was indebted to Keenah Rosser who hooked the ball off the line as Nick Goold closed in.

Quorn were then guilty of some sloppy defending and Leighton Smith pulled off two smart saves to prevent the opener.

Quorn’s best move of the game ended with Asamoah firing wide from Goold’s cross and soon after, they went behind. More shambolic defending allowed visiting number 9, Jack Skinner, time and space to convert with ease. Quorn were lucky not to fall further behind when Boldmere struck the bar and the half ended with the visitors gaining in confidence.

A brief period of improvement by Quorn saw them look to get back on level terms but the visitors back line held firm and after more poor defending, the visitors doubled their advantage, a last-ditch tackle looked to have retrieved the situation for Quorn but the referee deemed it unfair and awarded a penalty that looked rather dubious but no more than Quorn deserved.

The visitors added two further goals and could have had more, courtesy of Quorn’s abysmal second half performance that would have had any neutrals watching, wondering which team was in the top six and which was near the bottom

Wednesday sees the visit of Leicester Nirvana from the United Counties League as they begin their defence of the Westerby Challenge Cup that they won at the Kingpower Stadium when they defeated Barwell in the final, the game kicks off on Weds at 7.45 pm. Saturday sees Quorn in FA Vase ation at home against AFC Wulfrunians, kick off 3pm.